Week: Who is Jesus?
Each day we will simply pray (P.R.A.Y.) together.
P: PAUSING to be still.
R: REJOICING with a Memory Verse and REFLECTING on some verses from the Bible.
A: ASKING God to help us and others.
Y: saying YES to God’s ways.
As always, we start by pausing and taking a deep breath:
In and out.
In and out.
We remember that God is here, and so together we prepare ourselves to be with God.
Pause
Lord Jesus, thank you for the many ways you make yourself known. Our minds are open to learning more about You, and our hearts are open to knowing You better. We’re ready for You to speak to us.
We REJOICE and celebrate God’s goodness with this week’s memory verse:
Read by Eli
Colossians 1:18
[Jesus] is the head of the body, which is the church. Everything comes from him. He is the first one who was raised from the dead. So in all things Jesus has first place.
Colossians 1:18 (NCV)
God, help us to remember Your Word.
Today we’re reflecting on another occasion when Jesus described Himself by starting with the words ‘I am…’ If we’ve got time, we might like to try and find the seventh and final one, too. (Here’s a clue – it’s in John 14:6)
Read by Eli
John 8:12
Later, Jesus talked to the people again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. The person who follows me will never live in darkness but will have the light that gives life.’
John 8:12 (NCV)
A long, long time before Jesus was born, a prophet called Isaiah said these words; ‘The people walking in darkness have seen a great light.’ (Isaiah 9:2). When Jesus said, ‘I am the light of the world’, the people listening to Him would have remembered Isaiah’s words, and they would’ve realised that Jesus was saying, ‘It’s me – I’m the one that Isaiah was talking about!’
It’s pretty hard to do things in the dark isn’t it? We fumble around, we trip over things and we can’t find what we’re looking for. But when we follow Jesus it’s like turning on the light; we can see where we’re going and find what we need for our lives to be full and flourishing.
Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question, which is: What’s the hardest thing we’ve tried to do in the dark?
And now let’s ask God to help us and others.
Lord Jesus, we want to live in the light that you give, and we want our lives to be filled with that light too. We ASK You to light up our lives!
There are lots of things in our world that aren’t the way God wants them to be – where things are unjust and where people aren’t treated fairly. One way to describe these things is to say that they are like ‘darkness’. What darkness can we think of in the world that we want God’s light to shine on?
Lord Jesus, the Bible tells us that no darkness is too dark for you (Psalm 139:12). We long to see all the dark parts of our world flooded and filled with your light and life. Let your light shine – bringing justice and hope, healing and freedom.
As we read the Bible again, let’s listen for a word or a phrase that the Holy Spirit might want to say to us from today’s verses.
John 8:12
Later, Jesus talked to the people again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. The person who follows me will never live in darkness but will have the light that gives life.’
John 8:12 (NCV)
What word or phrase stood out from today’s Bible verses?
And now, let’s say YES to God together.
Yes, Jesus, you really are the Light of the whole World. Shine Your light in our lives and the lives of those around us.
After enjoying this time with God and each other, let’s say our memory verse together:
Colossians 1:18
[Jesus] is the head of the body, which is the church. Everything comes from him. He is the first one who was raised from the dead. So in all things Jesus has first place.
Colossians 1:18 (NCV)
Let’s put a hand on our heart.
Father God, fill us with Your love. Help us to love You, and everything that You’ve made.
Let’s point to our eyes.
Lord Jesus, help us to see You, and to see others the way that You see them too.
Let’s point to our ears.
Holy Spirit, help us to hear You, and give us courage to do what You say.
Unathi lives in Johannesburg, South Africa, with her husband and 5 kids; and has a passion for seeing families thriving.
You’ll most likely find her homeschooling the tribe, reading, writing, or dreaming about the next DIY project.
She also loves good coffee, dark chocolate and hiking.
Eli is 11 and lives in Melbourne, Victoria with his mum, dad and two younger sisters. He enjoys music, reading, riding his skateboard and playing soccer.
